EASLEY — An Easley man was arrested Tuesday afternoon after being indicted on murder and first-degree arson charges in his wife’s death in July 2010.
According to a release from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), Don Kinsela, 49, was indicted by a Pickens County grand jury for murder and first-degree arson in the July 3, 2010, death of his wife Cheryl.
According to the indictments, authorities believe Kinsela “unlawfully and with malice and aforethought” killed his wife by setting a storage building on fire while she was inside. The building was located at the Kinsela home at 131 Beverly Drive in Easley.
As the Courier reported last year, firefighters arrived at the couple’s home at around 1:30 p.m. July 3, where they were able to free Cheryl Kinsela from an outbuilding that had caught fire behind the home. She was pronounced dead at Baptist Easley Hospital, according to Pickens County Coroner Kandy Kelley.
Don Kinsela was also transported to the hospital following the fire, but was later discharged.
Officials said the fire was contained in about 15 minutes, and no other structures were threatened.
Firefighters believed at the time that the fire was caused by the malfunction of a piece of equipment in the structure.
The incident remained under investigation, however, with SLED investigating at the request of the Easley Fire Department.
SLED, the Thirteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office, the Easley Police Department, the Easley Fire Department, the Pickens County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE) announced Kinsela’s arrest Tuesday afternoon.
Kinsela was arrested without incident by SLED, the Easley Police Department and BATFE.
The case will be prosecuted by the Thirteenth Circuit Solicitor’s Office.